Iron Man (2007 film)
Iron Man is a 2007 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics Man character of the same name. Directed by Jon Favreau from a screenplay by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, and Art Marcum and Matt Holloway and stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man. In Iron Man, Tony Stark is an industrialist and master engineer who builds a mechanized suit of armor and becomes the superhero, Iron Man. The film had been in development since 1990 at Universal Pictures and New Line Cinema at various times before Marvel Studios reacquired the rights in 2005. Marvel put the project in production as a self-financed film, with 20th Century Fox serving as distributor. Filming began in March 2006 and concluded in June. During filming, the actors were free to create their own dialogue because pre-production was focused on the story and action. Rubber and metal versions of the armor, created by Stan Winston's company, were mixed with computer-generated imagery to create the title character. Iron Man was released in the United States on February 8, 2007. The film grossed over $585 million on its $140 million budget. It received praise from critics for its acting (particularly Downey's), screenplay, direction, visual effects, and action sequences. It was selected by the American Film Institute as one of the ten best films of 2007 and received two nominations at the 81st Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects. Plot Tony Stark, who has inherited the defense contractor Stark Industries from his father Howard Stark, is overseeing a military demonstration of his technology in Afghanistan when he tripped a booby trap that killed his escort and lodged shrapnel in his chest. The gravely injured Stark was taken captive by the terrorist leader Wong-Chu and was informed that within a week the shrapnel would penetrate his heart and kill him. Wong-Chu falsely promised Stark that if he built a powerful weapon, he would be allowed to undergo an operation to save his life. Even though Stark realized the tyrant was lying, he agreed, hoping to gain time and access to tools. Stark was given access to a small laboratory with another captive, the renowned Asian physicist and Nobel Prize in Physics laureate Professor Ho Yinsen, whose work Stark admired in college. With Yinsen acting as his assistant, Stark designed and built an electrically powered suit of armor with a pacemaker-like device that enabled Stark's heart to keep beating, the armor was also equipped with heavy offensive weaponry. Donning the suit, Stark connected it to its power source, an electrical generator. Lying on a table Stark was helpless until the suit was fully charged. In the least fortunate turn of events, Wong-Chu decided to check on his prisoners. Knowing that if they were found all of their work was for nothing, Yinsen decided to sacrifice his own life by distracting Wong-Chu, giving Stark the extra time he needed to charge the armored suit fully. As Iron Man, Stark avenged Yinsen's death and scattered Wong-Chu's guerrilla troops. Then, still clad in his armor, which was necessary to keep his heart beating, Stark made his way toward the front lines, trying to escape enemy territory. James Rhodes, a pilot with the United States Marines, had been shot down by rockets while he was on a reconnaissance mission. Rhodes managed to land safely and was attempting to get his helicopter air-worthy when he encountered the wandering Iron Man. After Iron Man helped Rhodes fight off an attack by enemy forces, Rhodes allowed him to drain the helicopter's batteries to recharge his armor. The two continued to make their way back to American forces and stumbled upon a hidden rocket base. Stealing an enemy helicopter, they destroyed the site and flew to the nearest American base. Back in the United States, Stark redesigned his chest plate, which contained a pacemaker-like device, reducing the chest plate's size and weight so he could wear it under his normal clothing. Required to wear the armor's chest plate at all times to keep his heart alive and beating, Stark decided to put the rest of the armor to regular use as well. After redesigning the entire armored suit to match the lighter chest plate, Stark made the existence of the suit public. He concealed the suit's true origin, as well as the fact that he himself had to wear the chest plate to live. Stark made it known that he would soon manufacture the suit, which he called "the human machine," for sale to be then public. More coming soon Category:Article stubs